Leonard Moore
Notre Dame#4 overallDraft Movement
Up 1 spot since Jun 8
Scouting Report
Leonard Moore enters the 2026 season as arguably the top defensive prospect in the 2027 class and a legitimate threat to crack the top-10 regardless of position. ESPN's Matt Miller calls him his top defensive back, citing five interceptions (tied for FBS lead per ESPN, fourth nationally per NFLDraftBuzz) and seven pass breakups across only 10 starts as a true sophomore at Notre Dame. The 6'2", 195-pound Round Rock, Texas native is a scheme-diverse cover man who lined up as a boundary corner, in the nickel, and even rotated to safety for the Irish, giving a defensive coordinator the kind of positional flexibility that drives early grades. NFLDraftBuzz ranks him as the No. 1 DB on their board with an 89.4/100 player rating. His 2024 freshman tape, capped by a five-tackle, two-PBU showing against Georgia in the CFP semifinal, already flashed the length, fluid hips, and ball production rare in a first-year starter. The 2025 leap turned him into a Unanimous All-American, Consensus All-American, and finalist for both the Jim Thorpe and Bronko Nagurski. Last Word on Sports points to his shadow job on USC's Makai Lemon (Round 1, 2026) as proof he can erase WR1s. The development concerns are honest: he needs functional mass to handle NFL X receivers, his tackling in space slipped as a sophomore, and his run support backed up. Those are correctable for a true junior with a multi-sport athletic base.
Strengths
- Elite ball production with 7 career INTs and 18 career PBUs over two seasons including a 46-yard pick-six vs Syracuse
- Scheme-diverse alignment versatility playing boundary, slot, box, and even safety snaps for Notre Dame
- Smooth hips and length to mirror in man coverage without grabbing, comfortable on an island
- Fluid pedal and reverse movement in zone with composure passing receivers off to teammates
- Reads route stems quickly and gets his head around early to play the ball like a receiver at the catch point
- Patient eyes in off-coverage who lets the QB declare then drives downhill with conviction
- Shadowed USC's Makai Lemon (No. 20 pick in 2026 draft) and kept him quiet on tape
- Recovery burst and length to climb back into phase when beaten initially
Weaknesses
- Tackling technique gets sloppy in space and lunges through contact, missing too many on plays where he had the angle
- Narrow torso who needs functional mass to handle NFL press-man battles vs X receivers like A.J. Brown or Mike Evans
- Run support regressed as a sophomore and gets washed out of fits against physical blocking schemes
- Gets a little grabby late in routes which will draw flags under NFL's five-yard no-contact rule
- Some tightness shows when up at the line but not pressing, can be on his heels and surrender free inside releases
- Offers very little as a blitzer with no real pass-rush plan when sent
- Eyes get greedy peeking into the backfield, giving up easy underneath completions
NFL Comparison
Sauce Gardner (length-and-press CB1 archetype with elite ball production); Patrick Surtain II (smooth-hipped, scheme-diverse boundary corner with safety-frame versatility); Christian Gonzalez (6'2" press-man cover skills and recovery burst); Trent McDuffie (alignment flex from outside to slot to box)
College Stats
2024 (Fr): 16 G/10 GS, 48 tackles, 2 INT, 11 PBU (team lead), 2 FF; 2025 (So): 10 GS, 31 tackles (23 solo), 5 INT (T-FBS lead per ESPN; 50 INT yds incl 46-yd pick-six vs Syracuse), 7 PBU; Career: 7 INT, 18 PBU
Measurables
Awards & Honors
2025 Unanimous All-American; 2025 Consensus All-American; First-team All-American (every major outlet) 2025; Jim Thorpe Award finalist 2025; Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist 2025; NFLDraftBuzz No. 1 DB (89.4/100); ESPN Matt Miller top DB in 2027 class with early top-10 grade